It seems a bit like death and taxes – a certainty of this human experience.  Associated with work for many people but it can flare in any area of life in which we feel we do not have the control we want.  

Its a conundrum, how to deal with it. On the one hand, part of the very reason we feel stress is due to our perception that we ‘should’ be able to control the thing that brings stress… work, our children, politics, economics….!  On the other hand, once we know we’re stressed, we have a desire to control the stress itself.  (There’s that word ‘control’ again 🙂 

Some stress is a good thing; we need some stress in our lives in order to be stretched, to grow, to keep us agile and improve our ability to adapt.  The trouble is, prolonged high stress can escalate into anxiety, depression and other, sometimes severe emotional or physical health problems.  

The sensation of panic, unable to get enough oxygen, a racing heart, feeling overwhelmed with tasks, deadlines, responsibilities.  Perhaps feeling emotionally unsettled, mentally paralyzed to the point of inertia, unable to sleep, relax or enjoy life.  Whatever the impetus, the symptoms are similar for many of us.

Some people find it helpful to remember that at its most basic, stress is a safety mechanism.  Your senses constantly take in information and your brain, as the master computer of your body-mind tries to make sense of all of it and elicits a stress response when deemed necessary.  Unfortunately, many of us modern humans are so consistently in a state of stress that we rarely, if ever, come out of it. If so, your nervous system (your sympathetic nervous system) is in over-drive. 

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), is in charge of your ‘fight / flight’ response – these are the ‘keep you safe’ reactions that prevent being struck by a car while crossing a busy street for example.  Very useful in small doses, but elevated and prolonged activity of the SNS changes the brain’s neural pathways and the whole process becomes a feedback loop.  Like driving a car through deep snow, neural messages get caught in the ruts – the path of least resistance.  The brain becomes wired to follow the wiring pattern most often followed.

However there is good news. You might have heard of neuroplasticity – the remarkable ability of the brain and the nervous system to change how it responds to stimuli. In other words, we can Re-wire the Brain! .. and therefor minimize the negative impact of sustained stressful circumstances.  

One of the ways to do so is by learning to hone the simple, omnipresent tool that is your breath; its effectiveness due to the direct relationship between your breath and your nervous system.  You can change the state of your nervous system simply by changing your breath. 

In fact, I encourage you to try it now.  For the next couple of minutes bring your complete attention to your breath; simply notice yourself breathing in and out, relaxed and easy…. simply observe your breathing.  After a couple of minutes, notice how you feel.  In this moment, you were perhaps already feeling somewhat relaxed and by paying attention to your breath, maybe you brought an even deeper sense of calm to your nervous system.  In more challenging situations we need more advanced practices, and like any skill, we practice, practice, practice before the big game.  With breath, we return to breath patterns that bring more calm while we’re relatively relaxed so that when the pressure is on, the wiring is in place. The brain and the nervous system know what to do; they follow the new wiring.

Practice these simple breath patterns as often as you can when you’re feeling calm, so that when the pressure is on, they can help you manage stress. 

Please begin any of these with 3-5 minutes of simply observing your breath as above, and come into a calm, resourced and grounded state of being.

1.) breath ratio.  While breathing in and out through your nose, focus on bringing 70% of your inhalation into your low belly (beneath your belly button), 20% to your mid belly and 10% to your chest.  Let your belly expand and say yes to a healthy breath!

2.) subtle resistance breathing.  While breathing slowly in and out through the nose, create a very slight constriction at the back of the throat and exhale audibly creating a sound a bit like the waves of an ocean / or a quiet (and loving!) version of Darth Vader. The sound will be subtle such that someone else could hear it only if very close to you.

3.) slow and extended.  While breathing slowly in and out through the nose, first notice the length of your inhalation and exhalation and gradually invite them to be roughly the same duration.  Slowly begin to lengthen your exhalation – very slightly at first.  Over time, bring your breath into a pattern of 4-2-6 (inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 2, then exhale for a count of 6).  Maintain this for a few minutes only if you can do so while remaining in your comfort zone, calm and relaxed.

At any moment your breath is right here for you; all you need to do is notice and if you can focus a wee bit more, you can change how you feel, simply by using your breath.